Mets to put Ronny Mauricio on IL, may play Bo Bichette at SS
New York Mets infielder Ronny Mauricio fractured his left thumb Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, forcing the injury-plagued club to consider using Bo Bichette at shortstop.
Mauricio, who was filling in at shortstop for injured All-Star Francisco Lindor, was injured during a head-first slide toward first base in the seventh inning of Saturday’s 4-3 loss.
“It’s obviously tough,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters, according to MLB.com. “You lose your everyday shortstop and the guy who comes in and has the everyday opportunity here now is injured. Someone else is going to get an opportunity.”
That opportunity could initially go to Bichette, who replaced Mauricio for the final four innings of Saturday’s game.
Primarily a shortstop during his seven years with the Toronto Blue Jays, Bichette moved to third base this season after signing with the Mets, who had already won the Gold Glove twice at shortstop Lindor.
But with Lindor and Mauricio both sidelined, Mendoza acknowledged that Bichette was a candidate to move back to shortstop.
“I’m pretty sure Bo will be in the conversation,” said Mendoza, who added that the Mets still haven’t decided which player to promote from the minors to replace Mauricio on the roster.
The last-place Mets will officially place Mauricio on injured reserve before Sunday’s series finale against the Angels. Bichette played in 32 games – 30 at third base – in his first season with the Mets, committing just two errors while posting a .970 fielding percentage at the hot corner.
“Whatever the team needs,” Bichette told reporters when asked if he might move back to shortstop.
Mauricio, 25, is hitting .209 (6-for-29) with one homer in nine games this season. The former top prospect will join a growing list of Mets players on the IL, including Lindor, Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco and Kodai Senga.
Lindor has been out since April 22 and will be out at least two more weeks with a left calf strain.
The Mets (11-22) entered Sunday with the worst record in Major League Baseball, 12.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves (24-10), first in the NL East.
